The Score (2001)

Despite the fact that it stars Robert De Niro and Ed Norton, it’s still somewhat surprising to find that The Score is actually a pretty accomplished thriller, considering it’s not a film that you’d often think of when considering the two actors’ careers. Released to fairly mixed reviews just over twenty years ago, it perhaps suffered from preceding the particularly delightful Steven Soderbergh Oceans Eleven remake by a few months; another star studded heist movie. Admittedly there’s nothing original about the plot of The Score; Robert De Niro’s Nick is persuaded to taken on one last lucrative heist before he retires, aided by Ed Norton’s Jack. We’ve seen it all before, and it certainly lacks the panache and style of Soderbergh’s imminent Clooney fronted thriller, but The Score is tight; and at two hours long it keeps you gripped with some terrifically tense sequences, both in the planning stages of the heist, and the main event itself. So, in the end, far from throwaway De Niro fodder (of which there’s plenty these days) Oz’s film sits higher on the list of heist movies than it had any right to, and keeps you well entertained for a couple of hours. 7.0/10